Myths

Cigarettes help you think clearly

• It may seem like you are thinking more clearly, but smoking has no effect on the reasoning process.
• Nicotine is the substance in tobacco that is highly addictive. It is both a stimulant and a sedative to the central nervous system. The initial nicotine "kick", which stimulates the central nervous system and causes a sudden release of glucose, is followed by depression and fatigue, leading the smoker to seek more nicotine.

Cigarettes calm you down

• Many people believe this, but they really feel better only because they are addicted to nicotine.
• As with other addictive drugs, you begin to feel gittery if the level of nicotine in your body drops. If you are not addicted, cigarettes actually make you feel nervous.

Smoking keeps you thin

• Smoking stimulates the central nervous system, which can suppress appetite, but it doesn't change eating habits.
• Overall, this is not an effective way to lost weight.

It's easy to quit later

• Only 3% of daily smokers in high school think they will be smoking in 5 years. But over 60% are still regular smokers up to 9 years later.
• Usually people make three or more attempts before finally being able to quit.